The Anambra State Government has handed over 19-year-old Mmesoma Ejikeme, who forged her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, to a psychotherapist for a three-month guidance and counseling program. The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, made this announcement during a press briefing in Awka.
Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, had manipulated her UTME score from 249 to 362, falsely claiming to be the top scorer for the 2023 UTME. After being caught, she engaged in accusations and counter-accusations with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which subsequently imposed a three-year ban on her.
Following an investigation by a panel set up by the state, it was recommended that Mmesoma undergo psychological counseling and therapy for her actions. The state government decided to take a rehabilitative approach, acknowledging that what she did could be seen as “juvenile delinquency,” and that she should not be completely written off for her mistake.
Therefore, Mmesoma will undergo a three-month therapy program with a psychotherapist, after which the state government plans to appeal to JAMB to reconsider its decision. The Anambra State Commissioner for Education praised Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo for approving the psychotherapy class for Mmesoma, indicating a willingness to help her rehabilitate and learn from her actions.
